That includes the Olympics. I opposed the government bailout of the 2002 winter games.

This is the fault of the masses of course. Sports plays into the primitive natural instincts to support the pack("my team at any cost&quot . It is the perfect way to screw people out of their money. Wonder why Greece is bankrupt? Much of their debt is the result of funding the 2004 games.

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-08-02/how-the-2004-olympics-triggered-greeces-decline

"As they watch the London Olympics, many Greeks may wonder how their country went from the international glory of the Athens Games in 2004 to the recriminations of today’s crisis. Hosting the event cost almost €9 billion ($11 billion at today’s exchange rate), making the 2004 Games the most expensive ever at that point. Greek taxpayers were on the hook for €7 billion, which did not include the cost of extra projects such as a new airport and metro system."

Greece is a small country that cannot afford to carry such a debt load.

-Look at Texas. One school has a $60 million dollar football stadium.
-In Connecticut, Ansonia took $2 million from the edition budget to pay for a new football field (back in 2001). Football is the center of life in the Naugatuck River Valley. The towns of the valley wonder why they cannot get much business investment. It should be obvious.

http://deadspin.com/5945741/you-built-that-how-mitt-romney-shook-down-american-taxpayers-for-his-welfare-olympics

When the Yankee and Mets Stadiums were built with government money I was horrified.

Most politicians would have been genuflecting before the altar of the Donald Sterlings of the world.

Of course it is hard for a politician to say no.